Ontario Wilderness Leadership Symposium (OWLS)

Ontario Wilderness Leadership Symposium 2027

OWLS 2027

June (3 days, 3 nights, dates TBD) 2027

Algonquin Park

OWLS is a beginner-friendly symposium, welcoming people of all experience levels. No prior experience in canoe tripping, camping, nor any specific theoretical knowledge required.

Registration opens in April 2027!  The conference fills up quickly!

Limit: 15 participants

Ontario Wilderness Leadership Symposium - OWLS 2027

Invitation:

The Ontario Wilderness Leadership Symposium is a unique event designed to support the development and leadership of outdoor educators, including wilderness guides, teachers, camp staff, and canoe trip leaders. 

Join a community of peers, along with experienced mentors, in this co-learning event and focus on the deeper questions that are rarely asked. Illuminating the often-murky waters of educational practice, OWLS will examine such questions as: what is outdoor education? How is the campfire a site of learning? Why are wilderness trips such potentially powerful experiences, and how do we ensure that they are for our students?

What you can expect:

A fully-outfitted, guided canoe trip with 18 like-minded, young outdoor educators. The first night (the Thursday night) is spent at a frontcountry campground in a shared cabin in order to allow people to arrive and get to know each other in the afternoon and evening. The next morning, we will depart for our canoe trip. Following a short paddle, we will reach our campsite. We will remain at this campsite for the next two nights, allowing ample time to engage in discussions and workshops, cook food over the fire together, swim, explore our surroundings, and connect with new friends and thought provoking ideas.

The trip is being outfitted by Headwaters Wilderness Program

What is expected of you:

OWLS is a co-learning event, in the style of an “open conference.” What this means is that unlike a typical conference, where participants only partake in workshops put on by others, we starting from the idea that everyone has something to share and invite all participants to be part of creating the learning of the trip.

If this sounds daunting, don’t worry. The trip will include three facilitators. There will be a flexible schedule as well as activities designed to spark interest. Additionally, there will be a few, short readings sent to all participants prior to the symposium, in order to start everyone on the same page and give you a sense of the philosophical and pedagogical directions in which we’re heading. In order for the symposium to be a success, it is expected that all participants do the readings beforehand.

Acknowledgement:

OWLS is being run in partnership with the generous financial support of the Jean Wansbrough Leadership Training Fund. As an original and long-time COEO member, we are proud that Jean’s legacy can help support the Ontario Wilderness Leadership Symposium.